Synthesis of green fluorescent carbon nanoparticles from Catharanthus Roseus

Abstract

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is widely accepted and appreciated mainly due to non-toxicity and excellent biocompatibility. We report a simple and cost-effective microwave-assisted approach for the fabrication of carbon nanoparticles (NPs) from petal extracts of white and pink Catharanthus roseus (commonly known as Baramasi), hence addressing them as BWNPs and BPNPs respectively. Both procedures resulted giving an average size of 22nm. They both exhibit green fluorescence under exposure to ultraviolet light, giving an absorption peak at 260nm. The topographic details were recorded using Atomic force microscopy, and the quasi-spherical shape and sizes were confirmed using scanning electron microscopy. Various functional groups were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and structural features along with crystallinity were investigated using X-ray diffraction. A time-efficient approach has been highlighted in this paper with the usage of a single solvent. These NPs can be potentially targeted for biomedical and plant health applications.